No Limit To Generosity This Holiday Season

Sheriffs Take Children Shopping For Holidays

No strings were attached to the money she received after being chosen to participate in York County's Shop with a Sheriff.

But the girl knew it was her only chance to buy presents for her family. A family that doesn't even have the money for a Christmas tree. So she spent the money on them.

All of it.

Then, in what seemed to be Christmas fate, Gloria's name was drawn out of a Santa hat that contained the names of all 58 kids who got to go shopping.

For having her name drawn, she won a new bike.

A deputy drove Gloria and her new bike home. He noticed that she had no tree to put her gifts under. He also noticed that her two younger siblings could use new bikes.

"An officer came back a little while later with two more bikes, a tree and lots of ornaments," said Jessica Ortiz, Gloria's older sister. "They made this the best Christmas ever."

Deputy Cody Lam, a key player in organizing Shop with a Sheriff, said the department had been raising money for the event for the past several months. They borrowed the idea from the Hampton Police Department, which has long held a similar event called Shop with a Cop.

"Some of the kids needed new coats and shoes for the winter," Lam said. "So it was a given that they were going to get that. But the neat thing about the event was that we were able to buy them some toys, too."

To many of the kids, hanging out with a deputy for a morning was gift enough.

"We were really happy about the ratio of deputies to children," said Lam. "Each child was given enough time to shop with their deputy and build a rapport with them. Most of the kids were fascinated by the guns and the uniform, and they got a chance to talk one-on-one about all of those things."

"At first I was scared. The gun scared me," he said. "But after we walked around for awhile, I wasn't scared anymore."

Daniel filled up the bottom of his tree with Power Rangers, Playdough and a Buzz Lightyear robot.

Capt. Monty Willaford escorted two children through Wal-Mart to shop.

"This was the most worthwhile thing I have been a part of," Willaford said. "At one point I had to leave the store to compose myself because of the pure selflessness of these kids."

"One of the kids asked a deputy if they could start their shopping at the jewelry counter," Lam said. "When the deputy asked why, the child said they wanted to buy a wedding ring for their mother. The child thought that if their mother had a wedding ring then they would get a daddy for Christmas. And you wonder why there was not a dry eye the whole morning."

Sheriff Danny Diggs said one child used some of the money to buy a bouquet of plastic flowers, or to the child, a bouquet of prize-winning roses, for his mother.

"You should have seen the look on that kid's face when he gave his mom those flowers," Diggs said.

Children were chosen through local schools and churches. They ranged in age from 15 months to 15 years.

"We figured the schools and churches really interact with the kids more and they know their needs better," said Lam. "So we relied on their recommendations."

Capt. Frank Crotty said the public had a positive reaction to the event as well. In fact, while he was wandering the aisles of the Yorktown Wal-Mart with his assigned child, a woman walked up to him and gave him $100 for next year's program. All the money and time were donated.

Crotty, said nothing in his 23-year career compared to what he experienced that day.

"We, as law enforcement, constantly see the seedy side of society," Crotty said, admitting he had tears in his eyes the entire day. "But that day, I can honestly say, was the most rewarding day of my career."

THE PROGRAMS

* York County's Shop with a Sheriff: Fifty-eight children received $100 each to shop for the holidays at Wal-Mart. Children were chosen through local schools and churches.

* Little People on Main Street: More than 30 children from the Isle of Wight Department of Social Services and the Suffolk Shelter for the Homeless are being treated to breakfast and presents courtesy of Main Street merchants.

Stephanie Heinatz can be reached at 247-4760 or by e-mail at sheinatz@dailypress.com